Fourth Level of Meaning: Iconography

On a basic level, we can think about iconography as conveying deeper meanings through simple visualizations. It uses symbolism to generate narrative, which in turn develops a work's meaning.

Jan van Eyck, Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife, oil on panel, 1434. National Gallery (London)

Each object in this painting has a specific meaning beyond its imagery here. In fact, this painting is actually a painted marriage contract designed to solidify the agreement between these two families. It is especially important to remember that this is not a painting of an actual scene but a constructed image to say specific things.

1. The single candle lit in the daylight (look at the chandelier) symbolizes the bridal candle, a devotional candle that was to burn all night on the first night of the marriage.
   
2. You notice that the bride is pregnant. She was not at the time of the painting, but this symbolic act represents that she will become fruitful.
   
3. The little dog at her feet symbolizes fidelity and is often seen with portraits of women paid for by their husbands.
   
4. The discarded shoes often symbolize the sanctity of marriage.
   
5. The chair back has a carving of St. Margaret, the patron saint of childbirth.
   
6. The orange on the windowsill and the rich clothing symbolize future material wealth (in 1434, oranges were hand carried from India and very expensive).
   
7. The circular mirror at the back reflects the artist and another man, and the artist's signature says, "Jan van Eyck was present," both examples of witnesses for the betrothal pictured. (We do not think of this much anymore, but a promise to marry was a legal contract). The circular forms around the mirror are tiny paintings of the Stations of the Cross.
   

For a similar discussion of iconography in art, view and listen to the Smart History presentation about Robert Campin's Renaissance-era painting, the Mérode Altarpiece.

You can see how densely populated iconography in imagery can convey specific hidden meanings. The problem here is to know what all of this means if we want to understand the work. Understanding the context of the work will help.

Grant Wood's American Gothic from the 1930s is a more contemporary painting with embedded icons. The figures' dour expressions signify the toughness of a Midwestern American farm couple. One critic complained the woman in the painting had a "face that could sour milk." Notice how the trees and bushes in the painting's background and the small cameo the woman wears mirror the soft roundness of her face: these traditional symbols of femininity carry throughout the work. In contrast, the man's straight-backed stance is reflected in the pitchfork he holds and again in the window frames of the house behind him. Even the stitching on his overalls mimics the form of the pitchfork. The arched window frame at the top center of the painting, in particular, is a symbol of the gothic architecture style from 12th-century Europe.

Vanitas painting was a popular genre in painting from 16th century northern Europe, especially the Netherlands. These still-life paintings heavily depend on symbolic objects that project the joy and accomplishments life affords, yet they also remind us of our mortality. Edward Collier's painting below is a good example of how crowded these could be.

Edward Collier, A Vanitas

The armor, weapons, and medals focus on military accomplishments. The open book alludes to knowledge, and in this case, the drawing of a canon mirrors the overall theme. The globe is a symbol of both travel and our common existence as earth-bound beings. Contemporary vanitas paintings could certainly include allusions to air and space travel. On the far right of the work, behind the book and in the shadows, lies a skull, reminding us of the shortness of life and the inevitability of death.

We can also use iconography to find meaning in artworks from popular culture. The "Golden Arches" mean fast food, the silhouette of an apple (with a bite out of it) means a brand of computer, a single, sequined glove stands for Michael Jackson, and the artist Andy Warhol's soup can image forever links Campbell's soup with Pop Art.